Two months ago when Attorney General Alberto Gonzales came to Idaho, 100+ ordinary people greeted him and we invited him to resign so the healing to America's reputation in the world can begin. No one in the national media will remember how shaken Gonzales and his crew were when they left Boise that day. But many of us knew it would only be a matter of time before he would figure out America does not support his boss's policies and he should leave. Read More »

I've had the pleasure of talking with lots of people at the Western Idaho Fair this week about what the war and occupation of Iraq is costing us. We've had some great volunteers help out. People see the jars of colored noodles and the sign with $450,000,000,000 (That's nearly 1/2 $ Trillion) so they come up to take our informal survey about how they would prioritize use of public money. I've noticed, however, that many people still say they are not comfortable talking about this issue. They are silencing themselves. Read More »

I was in Coeur d'Alene on Friday and helped a group of local folks release a report exposing how much the occupation of Iraq is costing us. I accompanied them to Senator Larry Craig's office. We talked with Sen. Craig's aide about one critical area that needs investment and has been neglected during the Iraq occupation: health insurance for poor kids in the US. On Aug. 2nd, Craig voted against continuing the State Children's Health Insurance program. His aide said he voted against it because the bill included adults. When I researched the claim later, I was disheartened to find out I had been misled. Read More »

We are releasing a new national report on what the occupation of Iraq is costing Idaho. Ever since the Bush Administration invaded Iraq, Congress has been spending our tax dollars to fuel the war and now the occupation. Idahoans have paid with the lives of our service men and women, as well as the suffering of their families and communities. Idahoans have also paid the cost of the Bush Administration's shift from investing in health care, education, job training in Idaho to fueling the continued occupation. Read More »

In the second day of hearings on Idaho's tax system, legislators heard from corporate lobbyists, from our own advocate for ordinary taxpayers, Judy Brown, who advocated for fairness, adequacy and accountability. They closed with a presentation from Keith Allred, founder of the Common Interest, who made a pitch for understanding how human nature influences decisions. Read More »

Fourteen state legislators are meeting in Boise for three days to talk about how Idaho raises revenue (taxes) to pay for investments in things like schools and health care. If you are in Boise, it is worth stopping by to hear the discussions and to button-hole them when they are on break. Some are honest that many special interest tax deals actually encourage job loss and hurt communities. Others seem nervous about upsetting the powerful corporations that fund their campaigns. Read More »

This is the op ed piece I wrote to celebrate when the minimum wage finally went into effect. It ran in several papers in Idaho. We should not be too bogged down on the statistics to lose sight of that fact paying people for work is a moral issue. This pay raise also comes at a time when one of Idaho's biggest corporations is laying off workers as a result of global trade policies and despite years of tax give-aways. Read More »

If you are in Southwest Idaho or the Wood River Valley, please plan attend a workshop or reception sponsored by Trillium Asset Management on how we can change social and environmental policies by organizing how our money is invested. In Idaho, we are working to demand that our retirement funds are divested from corporations doing business with the genocidal government of Sudan. A great workshop with a national leader visiting Idaho will be held on Wednesday along with receptions in Boise and Ketchum. Read More »

People all over the country want the occupation of Iraq to come to an end and to begin healing families at home and the US's moral standing in the world. To demand an end to the political games and filibusters in DC, people are gathering tonight at their US Senator's offices. In Boise, the gathering is outside Sen. Craig's office at 225 N. 9th Street at 5:00 pm. Read More »

I just got an e-mail from someone who asked me if I support universal health care. More and more people who have never been involved in activism or elections have been inspired by Michael Moore's movie "SiCKO" to DO SOMETHING: they are reaching out to organizations and public officials and candidates and even neighbors to demand action. This was a constant topic at the Take America Back Conference in June. We saw a preview of part of the film then. Here is what Roger Hickey from the Campaign for America's Future wrote last week. Have you been prompted to act yet? How? Read More »